The Laundry & Your Workout

How do the two of these go together - you're hardly going to be running into the laundry, or pumping iron in there either!

Well, recently I read an article concerning the care you take of your workout gear.

Now, be honest, how many of you actually clean up your workout gear immediately after the workout?  Or are you more like the majority and leave it damp and mouldering away in your gym bag all day?

I know, when I was working in a 9-5 job, I'd go to the gym before I'd head off to work, no pitstop at home to hang the clothes up to dry out.  But, with the new fabrics that are all the go for our workout gear, it's almost vital to ensure they are not left sweaty and damp in your gym bag for a long time.

The best idea for your new gear is to hang it up to dry out as soon as possible.  Have a hanger in your car, or in a locker at work, where you can hang them to dry out.  If you do go home, hang them over the edge of your laundry hamper. This apparently stops the fibres breaking down, or becoming too clogged, so that you can ensure your fabrics last up to a year.

Another tip is for your workout shoes.  How often do you leave them damp?  A good tip is to stuff them with newspaper post workout, this will allow the sweat to be absorbed.  Did you know that placing your shoes in a washing machine and then a drier would break up the cushioning??  What I want to know is: WHO DOES THAT TO SHOES?????

Another tip is for your bra - it needs to be washed after every workout, this allows the sweat absorption fibres to be clear and able to absorb more sweat, salt and bacteria, next time you wear it!  Hmmm, lovely thoughts!  Also note, washing your bra in the same wash as your jeans, will damage the bra material, as the rough zipper will rub against it!

Oh yes, and finally, the best tip of all - don't use detergents with added perfumes, or fabric softeners or dryer sheets - these all clog the fibres of the material (bra or workout gear) thus reducing it's ability to absorb your sweat!

It seems that the wonderful new fibres we have in our workout gear today are actually very sensitive and should be replaced every 6 - 12 months.  Will be looking through my gear again soon, seems they must be at their use-by date already.

Secrets To Keeping Weight Off!

There is a lot of discussion on the internet and within the media about the obesity epidemic and consequently ways to lose that weight.  In fact, at this time of the year, about every second advert is for a weight loss company.

Did you know though, that it is estimated that only 20% of overweight and obese Americans that lose weight MAINTAIN that loss? 


I'm sure you've heard of the title "Yo-Yo Dieter" and this is the option for the majority of people who lose their weight through a fad diet, something that doesn't become their lifestyle.  How can you possibly keep up the grapefruit or lemon diet for longer than a week or two? It doesn't become your lifestyle, merely a fad that you can maintain for a couple of weeks before you lapse back into your old habits.

The National Weight Control Registry in the US was established to increase the conversation about maintenance of weight loss. It has monitored the habits of successful dieters over more than 20 years and recently published these tips. 

1. Ensure your diet is similar to your maintenance plan. This means that you are still eating meals, and following a dietary plan that is easy to follow when you have reached your goal weight too. No fad diets can be maintained for a period of time, how can you live on lemons?
2. Keep active. Ensure that the activity you have been doing to lose weight becomes part of your regular routine.  I would suggest you undertake about 3 - 4 hours of activity a week, and make it FUN!!! I include dancing in my fitness routine, as well as walking in nature - they're my fun things to do alongside my gym workouts.
3. Watching less TV.  Keeping active also often means that you reduce the amount of time you spend in front of the TV, as you're spending this time at the gym, or visiting friends to go walking, or going out dancing. The other reason for watching less TV is that this is the time most people snack - it's thoughtless eating, you don't take notice of the food you're eating, so you don't feel full until it's too late. It usually occurs whent the adverts are on, so the trick I use is to record a show, then you skip those 'boring' adverts!! Also, this snacking is happening in the evening, not a great time to be snacking!
4. Keep your meals consistent. Knowing what menu plans are successful for you to lose your weight, also gives you ideas for your maintenance.  Splurging and eating high calorie foods, if they creep back into your routine menu, will soon stop being a treat, and quickly become a common occurrence. Before you know it, the pounds are creeping back on again!  Keep your menus consistent to consistently maintain your weight.
5. Accountability, or a support team.  Keeping your accountability partner in your maintenance plan will ensure you are regularly following your plan. Support from partners, online communities or even your fitness app are great ways to ensure you keep regular in your fitness plans, your meal plans and your mindset. Support for any goals is vital to achieving those goals. In this instance, your goal is maintenance.  I have a workout partner and we catch up for a workout (and a great chat too) once or twice a week, depending on our schedules. We never miss!
6. Positive outlook. Maintain a positive outlook. I use a positive/joyful/gratitude diary to ensure my maintenance. This can include reflections on what you have achieved, what it's like to be able to enjoy your exercise, the types of exercise you can now do, how long you've maintained your weight for. Set yourself little goals, e.g., maintain weight for one month - then celebrate that achievement! Note it in your gratitude diary also, so you have something to reflect upon.
7. Get sleep.  Ensure you have a regular routine for sleep, so that you don't become sleep deprived. Do you know what most people do to fuel themselves when they're sleep deprived? You guessed it, they reach for food that stimulates them, and that is mostly food high in sugar!  Ensure you are not becoming sleep deprived.
8. Regularly measure your weight.  Once a week jump on those scales! This is an easy way to establish if a sneaky pound or two is creeping back on, and you can then quickly do something about it before it becomes a larger problem to deal with. Choose a day, I choose Wednesdays, and stick to weighing yourself every week on that day, at the same time, in the same outfit (okay, I do it before I shower, so it's simple to have the same outfit!). This way, it becomes part of your routine.
9. Never, ever, say negative things about what the scale says. Stick to number 6 above, stay positive. You've lost a lot more weight in the past, so you know how easy it is to lose a pound or two now.  When the scales tip back upwards for a week, get back into your routine of menu plans and exercise that aided you to your goal weight. Generally a week will do it, then back onto your maintenance plan.  Also take a look back at the treats you've been having, and possibly contributed to this creep. Once you know what they are, consider how you can swap them for a different treat that fits into your lifestlye of health!

With these tips, you are more likely to become one of the 20% that maintain their weight successfully.